And to Each is Given a Talent...or Two!

My favorite painting of the Oakland Temple by A Rounds
This painting was done in 1985 and I would love to buy
one but I cannot find it anywhere.
If you ever see one please let me know!

Yesterday afternoon Jim spoke at a baptism in Oakland so we had the privilege of spending some time on Temple Hill. After the baptism of a young woman named Julia, we walked over to the Visitors' Center to see the beautiful sculptures of the Savior and His life. It was amazing. This wonderfully talented woman has created 13 sculptures for an exhibit that will be in Oakland until January 2009. It is free to the public and a must see for any Christian.

This sculpture is not included in the exhibit but is presented in the rotunda of the Visitors' Center for all to see. It is the only piece that they allow you to photograph. Unfortunately, the lighting was so bright due to the huge glass surround windows, that the photos do not begin to doing the piece justice.

This artist, Angela Johnson, has an amazing story. She is an opera singer that studied for years to fulfill her dream of singing at the Met. She became very accomplished but did not pass her audition for the Met in her late 30's. She was devastated after so many years of work and sacrifice to attain this goal. On her way home from the audition she was compelled to stop at a craft store and felt impressed to purchase some clay and one sculpting tool. By late that night she had sculpted a bust of a little girl.

She has never stopped sculpting since that day. This is a totally God-given talent that she did not even know she had. This exhibition has a life size sculpture of Christ that she completed in five weeks! It is very awe inspiring, to say the least. She has completed hundreds of sculptures and I can't imagine she is much over 40 now. Amazing! On Nov 8th she is giving a fireside lecture in Oakland where she will sing, as well as talk about her art work.



Double click on the brochure front and back to get more info and to see some professional photos of the pieces. Better yet if you will be in the area~go and see them for yourself. You will be glad you did.

Doesn't it make you want to run out and buy some clay?


This is my 400th Post since last December!
Thank you to all of you readers that have loyally stood by and kept reading!